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My Blog and I

My name is Diana. I am the blogger behind Offbeat Vagabond. I just
wanted something to help me rant on about things I love or don't quite
love. I am big on books, especially Urban
Fantasy, it is my favorite genre. Any Romance has to be Paranormal,
because love isn't natural without a gun and a beast involved. Although my tastes are very much expanding, I have discovered a love for Contemporary even BDSM (shocking!) I love
movies. Sci-fi/Fantasy/Horror/Action, pretty much anything as long as no
Romantic Comedies are involved (Katherine Heigl, you have been warned).
Music, TV, Wrestling are all my things as well (although I haven't been watching Wrestling as much as I used to). I am doing this for fun. I want to
write on a professional front, so blogging is a good stepping stone for
me. I just hope that stone doesn't have moss and I slip and break
something. So join me in my little piece of the Internet and remember,
it is normal to be abnormal

October Releases

Monday, December 6, 2010

Fellow booklover, Book Chick City, wants you to read! She is throwing a challenge for all of us that love things that go bump in the night. I am definitely participating in this challenge as these are my favorite genres. If you are interested, visit her site here: http://www.bookchickcity.com/2010/11/sign-up-horror-urban-fantasy-reading.html
The site has all the details for the challenge and everything you need in order to participate. Anyone making a list? I think I need to make a list. #1 definitely Shadowfever :)

Challenge Details

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

• Rules: To read TWENTY FOUR (24) horror & urban fantasy novels in 2011 (24 is the minimum but you can read more if you wish!)

• You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

• You can join anytime.

• At the beginning of Jan 2011, you will find a link to add your reviews.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

The moment I finished Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels #3), I picked this up and started it. (Patting my back for buying this series all at once, YAY!) But this one was definitely a favorite and that is a lot coming from me considering I think this whole series is top notch. This book we learn that Kate is an utter miracle. We learn that it is a miracle that she is not a psychopath. Seriously, this chick's family is beyond saving.
To start off, she feels stood up by Curran who did not show up for her naked dinner. Then she finds that there is someone spreading panic and even worse, a plague, around town. They have the ability to chase away the shapeshifters (and in some cases, turn them loup), turn men against each other so they are beating the shit out of each other, but for some reason, leaves human women alone. Kate, as well as other cities, are scared shitless. But after one this shit storms, they found that a victim holds the secret on protecting against whoever these monsters are.
After finally coming face to face with the person responsible, Kate finds out a family secret that she wishes she didn't know. That even though her father is the bastard to verse all bastards, his sister (Kate's aunt) is the bitch of all bitches. She is killing off people human and shapeshifters alike just to prove to the world the amount of godly power she possesses. From controlling two to three people at a time to giving them powers to do unimaginable things to everyone around her. Kate finds that she may not be able to defeat her aunt on her own.
I loved that this book got more personal for Kate and that we find out more about her messed up family history. The monsters in each book freak me out, but these scared the crap out of me. One of them in particular did something that almost made me want to cry (you'll know once you read it). The comedy was there and I loved how Kate and Curran messed with each other. She melts his custom made weight bench and the door to his bimbo room. He returns the favor by super gluing her ass to a chair. They are finally together (Thank God!) and Curran doesn't care that her family is a bunch of psychopaths. More reasons to love Curran.
I can't say it enough, this is such a fantastic series. Something for everyone (well not kids), but everyone else. This book doesn't lose any of the action and the twists. We also find that Jim is not the biggest tough guy we love, that he has a soft spot for someone, that I thought was actually impossible. So go out and get this series. I plan on rereading this a few time before Magic Slays (book #5) comes out May 31,2011! Too long people, too long!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

I finished this just yesterday. I couldn't put it down even if I wanted to. Ilona Andrews, you have done it again. This series gets better and better. The adventures that Daniels and Curran go through every book are so incredible and imaginative, I am still scratching my head as to why this has not been made into a movie yet.
This book starts off with Kate trying to get Derek out of a little bind. We soon find out this little issue is apart of a huge battle that can cut the city of Atlanta down to size. Our beloved Derek was trying his best to help a greedy and desperate girl escape the horrible life she chose. The girl, Livie, chose to be apart of a magical bunch of people because she wanted to be special. Unfortunately, it was more than she bargained for. She ended up working for a bunch of crazy, sadistic, stupid, and cannibalistic bunch who need to win an illegal tournament. The prize is something that puts all the of the Pack in jeopardy.
Kate thinks Derek is a lovesick puppy at first, so she is not able to help Derek when he needs it. Derek fans, I do urge you to put sharp objects away immediately. Trust me, you will be as pissed as Kate was after things go down. I'm still pissed.
I love how Andrews doesn't focus mainly on Kate, that we have a sense of all characters in the book. I love them all. I would love to see more of Raphael, he does crack me up. The story he told Kate about how his dad tried to impress his mom made me laugh so hard, there were tears coming out of my eyes.
So again, the characters, the unimaginable action, the comedy, are perfect. We get to have more of Kate and Curran. Kate seems to hate him a little less this book around. We do get a hot scene, but they didn't touch the fire (thanks Derek). Seriously, if you have not read/started this series, what are you waiting for? Get it now. Why are you still reading? I said now.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Just want to wish you all a great Thanksgiving/Turkey Day. Hope all your homes smell amazing like mine. Turkey and brown sugar glazed ham just popped out of the oven, so my mouth is watering as I type this. So for those who don't celebrate, still hope you are having a wonderful day full of smiles. And food, lots and lots of food :)

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

As Harry races against time and evil to destroy the Horcruxes, he uncovers the existence of three most powerful objects in the wizarding world: the Deathly Hallows

$16.25. $16.25 is the exact price I paid to watch absolute and total awesomeness. $11.50 for IMAX tickets + $4.75 for a hot, steamy and crispy box of curly fries. I would have gladly paid more for both because if there is one thing Harry Potter and curly fries have in common, is that neither of them left a bad taste in my mouth. I think you guys can guess what I thought of this. It was awesome!
This movie starts off with Severus heading to Lord Voldemort's "dinner" table. It was his Death Eaters were scared to bits of the guy, naturally. Voldemort wanted to know where he could get the most powerful wand and his entourage was really no help. He also kills a girl for her beliefs and lets his snake eat her. You know, classic Voldemort. Seriously, this was one creepy ass scene.
A big reason why I love Potter is that constantly, even though it's voluntary, he doesn't want anyone risking their lives for him. I love that Ron pointed this out. That it isn't mainly about Potter, that it is much bigger than him, even though he is the Chosen One. But Potter and his trusted clan are on the run. There is pretty much a ransom on his head and his friends have offered to risk their lives for him (as noted). People die this first night, then after that, there's a wedding. Yeah, didn't get that either. The wedding was so out of the blue. Never was explained. You do discover some things that were interesting, but I wish the wedding thing had a little more explanation for me. Also the morning of the random wedding, Ginny needed Potter to zip her dress (classic). They share a kiss, while Fred Weasley was watching (I wish he had more lines, he was hilarious), and that's it. This "romance" just feels a little dry to me, but I guess it has a lot to do with Potter trying to save the world and all.
So they continue the hunt for the Horcruxes (Voldemort has split his soul into seven and hidden them in objects only he know, of course). Once Harry finds these Horcruxes and figures out how to destroy them, he'll be able to kill Voldemort once and for all. So they are on the hunt and they go through some scary and/or amusing adventures. They stole some people's identities and found out a politician isn't so nice (what a shocker).
After a funny and yet scary chase, they end up hiding the rest of the film in the woods. They discover a secret about the Horcruxes that will help them. Ron has a major breakdown and leaves. This was such a weird part for me, as it was for others. Not seeing all three of them together felt weird. Potter may be the Chosen One, but without Hermione and Ron, none of the Potter films would work. They are an amazing trio and they need each other. We find that out after there was a test of Ron jealously when opening up Horcrux. Now if you have seen this, you know this scene was a tiny bit racy for the 5 year olds sitting in the audience. I know it was PG-13, but Potter is aimed at all ages. I am just saying, sometimes movie companies seem to forget who their audience is. Like I was saying, instead of Ron going on a killing rampage, he knew his best friend and girlfriend wouldn't betray him. The scene after this was quite funny to me. Young men and women in all their glory. Girls are pissed and will stay piss, even after you say something so beautiful. But like I said, having Ron there makes things 10x better. I love Ron.
Along the way, they hear a story that answers more questions than they thought. I loved this scene about the Trio of Brothers. The way they shot the story added a little more magic. It was dark, beautiful, and striking. If it wasn't Harry Potter, I would have have watched an entire film about these three. So well done. Through this beautifully told story, they find that the symbol that has been haunting them throughout the movie, is the nail on the head (or coffin as you may).
This leads to a creepy visit to Bellatrix and her dirty little clan. This leads to a scene that will effect everyone. I watched this with my younger brother and even he was effected by it, even though he is Mr. Macho.
Now if you haven't guessed, I skipped some things because I saw this a few days ago and it is not totally fresh. Also I have not read any of the Potter books. I actually got into the Harry Potter films late. My mom said it was for devil worshipers. A concept I thought and still think hilarious because (a) we do have faith in God, but we aren't religious nuts and (b) we have seen every Lord of the Rings film more times than I can count on fingers and toes and both LOTR and Potter deal with lots and lots of magic.
Overall, watch this movie. Even if you are not a huge fan in sci-fi/fantasy (shame), there is still so much you can take from Potter. It is sad, funny, dramatic, and horrific all at once. I hope that all get the chance to see this. I plan to see it again this week. I am sure I have another $16.25 to spare.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Now for those of you who are jonesing for a fix while waiting for Shadowfever. I want to remind you all of the next dates for the discussion of the series. So make sure you save bookmarks and/or highlights for the rest of the series. If you've read the series, you know there is plenty that needs to be talked about.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

I know I should have posted this before, but I am finally on the computer. Today, (right now people) FictionVixen is having a discussion on the DarkFever book (Part 1 of the Fever series). Now anyone that knows me, know I am addicted to this series. The story, Barrons, action, Barrons, suspense, Barrons, other characters besides Barrons annnnnnd Barrons.
Now the discussion is open now. So if you want to get into it. Start right now. Head here: Darkfever Discussion

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels knows how waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta's paramilitary clan of shape shifters, she quickly realizes much more is at stake. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug of war between two gods hoping for rebirth, and if Kate can't stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive.

Every once in a while, a book comes along that has the right amount of everything that it takes you by surprise. This is one of those books. The right amount of laughs, the right amount of action, the right amount of science fiction...just right. This book was complex and full of action. It is a book that both men and women would enjoy (yes, that is actually possible). This is one of my favorite urban fantasy series. If you read it, I guarantee you will love it.

This book starts off with Kate killing another strange creature in the middle of an alternate universe named Atlanta. Okay it is not an actual universe, it is a different version of Atlanta. This creature gets killed by someone that wasn't Kate or her partner Jim.

So after collecting her money for the kill, she goes back to the place of the kill to try and find out who killed the creature. She then ends up finding two homeless teenagers. One a boy named Red (who is a young wizard) and a young girl named Julie who Red was "protecting". Red leaves Julie behind for Kate to take care of. Kate finds that Julie is homeless because Julie's mom is missing and she has nowhere to go. In the place she is hiding, Kate finds that some sort of spell has taken place there and whatever it was, it wasn't good. While looking around they get a visit from Bran. A guy who belongs to a god and has a thing for Kate and just happens to be the guy who stole the maps the Pack has been searching for. I really liked Bran. He was a cocky thing, but he made me smile.

Kate and Julie travel more to find Julie's mom and find to figure out more what has been going on with Julie's mom's coven. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Julie's mom was a witch. Apparently her coven were following a deity who had a very interesting entourage.

While back at Kate's place, Kate find out that Julie is not your ordinary child and Red is using her to save his own skin. Along with that, Julie and Kate are being chased down by ugly creatures with wings who is being controlled by a god. So that should be easy.

This leads to a visit to the Pack's lair and a visit by the Pack leader, Curran. There is no love story quite yet between them, not yet anyway. I think she will come around soon enough, but still. A little while after the meeting, they are visited by a vampire who is controlled by a man named Ghastek, yeah Ghastek. Along the way, they find the answers they need. But unfortunately find they are in a bigger situation than they thought.
This was a fantastic book. This is a fantastic series. I would love to see this as a movie. It is epic reading that would make an epic movie. Hey Peter Jackson, where the hell are you? You need something to make up for The Lovely Bones, I suggest this. A kick ass female lead, a kick ass, hot and scary male lead, vampires that are actually grotesque and actually scary, witches, shapeshifters, and other creatures whose names I can't pronounce = AWESOME! Bottom line: BUY THIS

Friday, October 29, 2010

Yes, that title is correct. Apparently Katy Perry was too "racy" for Sesame Street because she is a pretty girl with boobs, but a True Blood parody is okay to show children. Why make a parody of something that kids shouldn't be watching in the first place? Let me say first and foremost, if kids are watching True Blood, arrest the parents immediately.The day True Blood becomes appropriate for kids is the day Fox "News" becomes an actual newsworthy source. It will NEVER happen.
Someone made the comment on one of the videos uploaded to Youtube saying they don't know whether it is funny or disturbing. I definitely agree with that. I mean I don't know if I laughed because I was uncomfortable or if it was funny.
I will say this though. I am happy that Sesame Street is into pop culture. There is nothing wrong with that. They are modern and up to date.It is nice to start branching into things that kids are into and what they pay attention to. But True Blood? This show is explicitly for adults, no way around that, no way to sugar coat it. Sesame Street, I love you guys, but please keep in mind what you are doing because this doesn't make a lick of sense.
What do you guys think? Do you think they should have done a parody of a Mature rated show? Let me know what your thoughts on this.
To see the parody yourself, visit the link here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dAZ1-nF3VI

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, has dealt with - and destroyed - a lot of monsters. But her old mentor, Edward - ruthless killer, bounty hunter, assassin - may be worse than any of them.

But Edward's got problems. A malevolent and seemingly unstoppable force is mutilating and dismembering the citizens of Albuquerque - and if he is to stop it he'll need all of Anita's firepower and cunning.

It may not be enough.

Let me start off by saying, I am a huge Anita Blake fan. There wouldn't be True Blood if not for Anita. Hell, as much as it pains me to say this, there wouldn't be Twilight if. It for Anita. She is the original badass. Now I am aware of how people feel about the series now. But this does not mean I am going to stop reading the series though.
This book is definitely different from the last eight books. We are not focused on Anita,first of all, we are focused on Edward. Also, most characters that we are use to, Jean-Claude, Richard, Dolph, and more are nowhere in this book. Though Jean-Claude makes a "dreamy" appearance in this book.
Now back to Edward. He scares me and he is a psychopath, yet he is surprisingly likable. He does go for the bad guys (at least I hope he does). But this book starts with Anita starting to pay Edward a favor (after killing his even crazier psycho killer friend, Harold). She goes to Arizona to meet Edward to then find out he has a fiance with kids and goes by the name Ted. I honestly didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this, given how Edward is, if his "family" knew what he did, well that would be too much. Anita, of course, knows the catastrophe that this will be and can't believe Edward is doing this not only to Donna, but to her little four year old girl and teenage son (who saw his dad die. Yeah, that bad).
So "Ted" called Anita to help solve a series of horrendous mutilations. People are being skinned alive, but they are not dead. No one can figure how they are alive and why they have been strange occurrences while they were skinned. People just conveniently needed to leave their own homes to walk or something when these mutilations took place.
So while investigating Anita meets Edward's backup. One is Bernardo Spotted Horse, sexy, horny ex Military killer and Olaf. Olaf is big, German, and a rapist who just so happens to target women with Anita's characteristics. I am sure you can imagine this meeting.
They end up meeting the Master of the City and her human servant after a disturbing stage display. If you are familiar with Anita's meetings with other vampires and their entourage, at least one person has their brains shot out. But the meeting wasn't a total waste because she finds out Obsidian Butterfly (the Master of the City) is not the god she says she is and that he cryptic talk leads to a dangerous realization (won't say, read the book).
Anita also meets up with a fellow necromancer. He is as scary as everyone says he is a d has a thing for Anita. He also has a secret. But due to Nicky's stupidity (the other necromancer), Anita and her gang are being followed by Ted's "friends" who want Anita to protect their coward of a leader.
There are a lot of things happening in this book (sorry if my follow up isn't helping much, I don't have the book with me), but it manages to not feel cluttered. It moves in a nice pace. Some books are too slow to get to the drama or the action. This was just fine. I love that we find out the Edward isn't completely soulless. Tge other books really had me thinking otherwise. Now I have heard the complaints about no Richard and (barely) no Jean-Claude, but I think this book was fine without them. It is what Anita needed to get things figured out (but not necessarily straighten). She is attracted to Detective Ramirez in this book, but the thought of leaving her boys completely is a no-go. I honestly would have liked to have seen how Anita would be like dating a human. I love Richard and Jean-Claude for sure, but still.
I have read multiple reviews about this book and have seen the issues, but frankly, I wasn't disappointed. I like the turn this book took. It still felt like Anita. She is still on that line of cop and killer. That is what makes me love her. She doesn't follow the law 100%, but she does what she must to save others. This book kept to that. This book was full of Anita's humor, Edward's new found beating heart, monsters that have done things that I honestly had a nightmare about the other night and strange love (well, I am nit sure love is the right word, hell not even lust is the right word).
Overall this was a great book in the series. I love the new yet old Edward/Ted. I thought this was a great read and like I said, it is the Anita we know and love, just with a different perspective.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Superman is back and we don't know if he will be better than ever. I really like Brandon Routh. I think he is a great actor, he definitely has the look and essence of Superman. But still, Superman Returns was, in fact, a sequel (Right?). So I find it weird to do a complete overhaul of the original Superman and still (basically) continue with the most recent sequel. Everyone knows that Routh was not suppose to be in the reboot, but apparently things have changed, again. I thought that he was great as Superman, even though Superman Returns was not my favorite, he was captivating. I am not just saying that because he is hot, but because he did a great job.
I believe one issue with Superman is the way they have been presented to us. I mean Superman Returns was (suppose to be) a sequel to Superman IV. A sequel that I don't think anyone watched or remembers, I know I didn't and don't (that made sense). I think the reboot should have started when they made Superman Returns. I mean it did nothing but remind newer audiences (and probably older ones) what the basis of Superman is all about. It wasn't really anything new except for the kid thing, that was something.
So I don't think bringing back Routh is a problem as long as the movie goes in a different direction. Since Zack Synder is doing it, I am expecting something different (with some slo-mo action). I think Synder has the ability to scrap things and go onto a different path. I know he can do something we haven't seen with Superman and bring a different flavor to the franchise. I think that is the biggest issue with Superman. Superman IV came out in 1987, Superman Returns came out in 2006 and yet, it didn't feel like it was updated. Twenty years have gone by and it didn't feel like Superman got a face lift, to speak. I mean it was shinier and the special effects were bigger, but with Superman as a whole, I expected a more updated feel. So I know Synder understands we are in a different era and that is why I am fine with the reboot. Synder I am putting my faith in you because you belong to this generation of violence and sex. I know Superman is for all ages, but a little blood would be nice. As for the sex thing, well I am a girl and Routh is Routh, put the two together.
What about any of you? Anybody agree or disagree with Routh coming back or just a Superman reboot in general?

If you think your family relationships are complicated, think again: you haven't seen anything like the ones in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie Stackhouse is dealing with a whole host of family problems, ranging from her own kin (a non-human fairy and a telepathic second cousin) demanding a place in her life, to her lover Eric's vampire sire, an ancient being who arrives with Eric's 'brother' in tow at a most inopportune moment. And Sookie's tracking down a distant relation of her ailing neighbor (and ex), Vampire Bill Compton. In addition to the multitude of family issues complicating her life, the werewolf pack of Shreveport has asked Sookie for a special favour,and since Sookie is an obliging young woman, she agrees. But this favour for the wolves has dire results for Sookie, who is still recovering from the trauma of her abduction during the Fairy War.

Ok it has taken me a while to get to this because quite frankly, I did not know what to write about it. I am a huge fan of the series (both the books and the show, definitely the show). Yet this book didn't have the same flavor as the rest. As much as it pains to say anything bad about Sookie Stackhouse and her unbelievably sexy men, I must be honest here, I was disappointed.

The book starts off with Sookie quite depressed. Very understandable, she has lost two family members (well three including Claudine's baby) and found out another one was crazy. Amelia is leaving her to go back to New Orleans. Even though Eric is her boyfriend, it is clear she is not 100% sure she loves him. Bill is suffering from being poisoned by silver, so he can't do much of anything either. So things are pretty down for Sookie until she gets a visit from her jerk of a cousin, Claude. Then things start looking up, in a way.

Eric moves back and forth in the book. One night when Sookie and Eric are together, they get a visit from Eric's maker (who I thought was Godric, but apparently is a completely different guy named Appius). This was a big, confusing issue for me. Didn't make sense to me. His "child" was Alexei Romanov. This was apparently the son of the Romanovs. Yes, the Royal family of Russia. Alexei was a psychopath, as you can well imagine. But they came to visit Eric because Appius needed help because of Alexei. Because like I said, he is crazy. Before this as well, Sookie gets a visit from Alcide and his pack to hunt on her lands. They find that there is a body there and a fairy or two. So she is paranoid about it being her psycho cousin, Dermot.

So all of this is happening just in the first few chapters. To add more, Sookie sneaks into Bill's house to find the other "child" his maker made. Sookie finds her and ask her to come save Bill. This vampire is named Judith and she looks exactly like the wife Bill had when he was human. Worse, Judith seems a little obsessed with Bill, but she couldn't have him because of their maker. But Harris didn't go further into this, which is also very weird.

All this is going on in the book, but it was just strange. The plot was all over the place and there was so many things going on. I like books that have various storylines in one book. For example, Adrian Phoenix is famous for this. Phoenix has three/four things going on and they tie in perfectly at the end. I can't say that for this book. It was a little chaotic and felt rushed, which is probably why this book was kind of short.

I would have preferred if Harris scrapped the Appius/Alexei story (save it/tuck it away/anything other

than this) and went a little further with the dead pack member and the Judith/Bill story. But there was too much going on and not enough cohesion. The Appius/Alexei story needed more explanation and we didn't get it.The ending wasn't bad, I liked it, but again, a little more explanation would have been nice.

Overall, I wanted more from this book. I definitely expected more. This is first book in the series that has been a let down for me. I pray it is the only one that does. So if you haven't read this, read it at your own risk. (CAUTION!). If you have read this, let me know what you thought. Did you think it was fine as is or could something else have been done?

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.
Finally getting around to this. I finished this book about month ago. Not slow, just lazy (American motto). Anyway, this is the official first book of the series. Before reading this, it would help to read My Soul to Lose, which is the prequel to the series. There are things that will be referenced in this story and it helps to know a little more about Kaylee (main character).
So to start off, this is a Young Adult book, but I can tell you, you will love it no matter the age. It is actually quite unique in style and story. Rachel Vincent did a wonderful job of creating an urban fantasy based around teenagers. The dialogue is smart and witty even though they are teenagers. Kaylee reminds me a lot of how I was when I was in high school (minus the paranormal stuff. Though I truly do believe some girls were all kinds of beasts, two-faced, bitches most likely to stab you in the back with their tails. Yeah, you have met those kind).
The beginning of this book starts with Kaylee getting dragged to a club with her party hard, equally minor best friend, Emma, who has her cousin, Traci, sneak them into the place. So of course once they enter, Emma gets swamped with dance partners on the dance floor (damn you pretty, leggy blondes) and Kaylee is stuck by herself sucking down coke at the bar. Until the hottest and most popular guy in school, Nash Hudson, notices her and sits down next her. Kaylee, thinking she is not the kind of girl that usually gets his attention is very floored by the revelation. But her dream quickly becomes crushed when she notices the shadow over a young, pretty girl on the dance floor. Kaylee knows what is about to happen and has to bolt quickly before she embarrasses herself in front of Nash and the entire club. You see Kaylee has a talent (curse) where she can tell when the next person will kick the bucket. They get overshadowed by, well, a shadow and Kaylee screams until her throat is raw when it happens. Everyone thinks she has some kind of seizure or something, but that is far from the truth. But she quickly finds out that her secret is fine with Nash because he knows more about her condition than she does. Kaylee, being an actual smart teenager, she gets suspicious of Nash and his attention towards her. She finds it strange that he is not running and heading for the hills.
Then later after her "brush" with death, she is shaken up (naturally). But to make matters worse, Kaylee overhears her Aunt Val and Uncle Brendon talking in the kitchen after one of the incidents and they say that Kaylee is on borrowed time. So after being sent in a psych ward and put on zombie drugs, her own family knew that she wasn't crazy (Read prequel My Soul to Lose, found here).They know exactly what she is. So after the shadow appears at Kaylee's school where her and her shallow cousin, Sophie, goes to. Then it becomes clear that something very strange is going on around Kaylee. All girls that have dropped like flies were about the same age and very pretty. Kaylee and Nash realize the strange pattern. So they need information.
Nash and Kaylee end up going to a hospital to meet a guy named Todd. Todd, in my opinion, was the best character in the book. He seems like a little egotistical but you find out more about him and why he follows Nash around and why they aren't the best of friends. Won't say too much here because it is quite intriguing. But Todd decides to risk helping Nash and Kaylee by getting the list his boss has. This list consists of everyone's "due dates". It is suppose to show when everyone is suppose to die a d they want to find out if those girls went at their correct times because it doesn't seem like they did.
Then the unthinkable happens when they go to the funeral of the girl who dies at school (someone close to them is about to be "taken", won't say who), but when Kaylee and Nash work to try and help keep them alive, they get a visit from the unexpected. An actual shadow decides to make themselves known and they have their eyes on Kaylee and Nash. They soon find that shadow is more familiar with them then they'd like to think.
This is one of the best Young Adult books I've read. It is smart, modern, and creative. It takes the very real and frustrating world of an everyday teenage girl with some scary paranormal flavor. The story really does grab you. I couldn't put this down. The last 20-25 pages will hit you over the head though. The twists will really have you floored. I was so into beforehand, but I really, really loved the last bit of the book. I love that it is also of an urban fantasy genre, which is very different for most Young Adult books. All in all, if you are not the biggest fan of Young Adult (here, here), make an exception with this one. You are sure to get lost in a different kind of world.

Oh, P.S.- There are actually no vampires/werewolves in this book which is even more intriguing. Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

"An oil man lives a double life". That is the plot line they had for this on IMDB. Well title says all, but that little plot line is ridiculous. This show has been canceled and quite frankly I think it is BULLSHIT! I watched the pilot last week and thought it was quite incredible. My first thought was, "Emmy-worthy", no joke. So it is just stupid to see something worth watching get canceled. It had a little over 4 million viewers first week and a little over 3 million this week. What did they expect? It is a brand new show and unfortunately on the same night with the moronic monstrosity of Dancing with the Stars (can't you tell I hate it?!)
But that is my point, it was at an odd time as far as I was concerned. I think this would have been more fitting on a Friday night instead of a Monday night. Fox has done it again. Think about it, Firefly had about the same amount of viewers for its one and only season, but it is still one of the most loved shows ever. I just think it is strange that this show gets canceled so quickly, when, in my opinion, that many viewers is good for a new show.
Then go to shows like Smallville and Supernatural both had about 3 million viewers each on average and that was considered high ratings and these shows are seasoned veterans (well Smallville obviously). So why is a new show so quickly ostracized after episode numero dos, but a show that is now in its tenth season has the same amount of viewers and that is okay? Doesn't make sense to me. I do want to point out that Smallville and Supernatural are a couple of my favorite shows to watch, I am not complaining by any means.
Also this article from the Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i59a76af793553118b9d9c0742a2c6591 . Apparently creator Killen is just as shocked as I am. I think asking a petition is a good idea, but it seems this was not fought for enough and it needs to be. I did like the thinking though. He says he thought it was great Fox gave him the same spot as the former spot for 24. But this show is not necessarily action packed and full of government conspiracies. That doesn't mean it wasn't worth watching. I like shows the are coming of age (even though he was of age, if that makes sense to anyone).
So it is obvious I don't agree with another one of Fox's ridiculous decisions. They always have a tendency to cancel things I would pay money to see if it wasn't for free. Oh by the way, since I have always wanted to say this, Joss Whedon, do not put anymore shows on Fox, please! It is obvious you are waaaaaayyyyy too cool for them.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, a clean cut high school girl sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne's in "The Scarlet Letter," which she is currently studying in school - until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing. Courtesy of IMDB

I watched this like two days ago and fell in love. It is so nice that there is someone out there that can make a film about teenagers that is actually smart and funny. But I want to be clear. This is not a teenage film, this is a film for anyone that has been in high school. Seriously, I saw 80 & 90 year old men and women walking out this theater with smiles on their faces. No blandness, no uncomfortable laughter (unless you are a prude, in which case, why watch a film about a girl faking to lose her virginity to get attention?)
Well this film follows a teenager named Olive (Emma Stone) who was pretty much under the radar. She starts off with the tiniest of lies. She lies to her best friend Rhiannon (Alyson Michalka) about her having a date for the weekend (Olive lied because she did not want to hang out with Rhiannon freaky, hippie, and naked family for the weekend). But Olive tells her that she had a very hot night with some guy named George that goes to a community college. Rhiannon was actually really smart and knew she was lying but than Olive convinced her otherwise.
She tells her this lie in a bathroom where Marianne (Amanda Bynes), the leader of the Jesus Squad overhears. After the lie, her best friend tells the entire school and she is known as the bimbo of the school. After calling another chick from the Jesus Squad a "twat" (after she called her a "skank") in the middle of class, she get detention. In detention she meets up with an old friend Brandon (Dan Byrd) who is gay. He knows that Olive did not do what everyone said she did, but they devise a plan to make sure the reputations they desire get accomplish. She likes the attention of being the school slut and he wants to look straight until high school is over. So they go to a big party and have an even bigger (yet fake) time where they have "sex" for the world to hear. By world, of course, I mean high school which is indeed a different planet of its own.
So after her gained popularity, she starts getting offers from guys to have "sex" with them. Things start great, I suppose, but than her gained popularity backfires when she gets help from a guidance counselor, Mrs. Griffith (Lisa Kudrow) who is the wife of Olive's favorite teacher, Mr. Griffith (Thomas Haden Church, one of the best characters in the movie). Then things take a very unpredictable dive for everyone involved.
I will stop there because the dive was so unbelievably unexpected, everyone gasped when it happened because it really made the movie serious actually. But it added another element because this movie is surprisingly sad in some parts as well. But you will laugh your ass off, guaranteed. The dialogue was witty, modern and funny. The cast, I believe, was the best thing about this film. Olive's parents, Rosemary and Dill (played by Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci), were the greatest parents ever! Hilarious, nonjudgmental, and understood the new generation. Malcolm McDowell was the school principal, Principal Gibbons, who had one scene in the movie, but it was very memorable.
Like I said, this film is smart and very enjoyable no matter if you are 15 or 100 (God bless you). You will like the John Hughes-esque feel to the movie. I said this film would have made him proud (Rest In Peace). It truly understood teenagers. It is not really like the bullshit you see in tv and movies. You know where everyone sleeps with everyone out of revenge over the dumbest of things (like cheating boyfriends and no, I don't think they get the irony in that). Then there are the ones about losing your virginity before you graduate (though I will excuse Superbad from that list because it was just too damn funny) or at prom. This was not a stupid venture to sex, this was a venture to get attention through attention (it makes sense to me). There was even a little tribute of John Hughes films in the movie which was very appropriate added a nice balance. Also I think it was to give the younger generation a taste of the genius that was John Hughes. Seriously, if you don't know him, head to your nearest Blockbuster (um...wait a minute), head over to any place that sells videos and look for Sixteen Candles. I think that is a great film to start with.
So man and woman, young and old, black and green polka dots, watch this film! You won't regret it.

Friday, September 17, 2010

The Town, Easy A, Devil, and Alpha and Omega are the films opening this weekend. Now look at these, remember the trailers and it is pretty easy to know which one won't skim the Top 5 this weekend. Easy A, duh! Just kidding. Easy A is definitely my top choice for this weekend. I am a huge Emma Stone fan. Out of all the pointless actress that do nothing and make sex tapes and get paid for "reality tv", it is nice to see an actress my age who has it together. She is gorgeous, she is funny, and she has a nice tough girl next door. Stone is just like any girl except she makes tons of money (and is actually worth the money). This is my number one.The Town is definitely my number two choice. I believe this is from the same guy who directed Gone Baby Gone. Yes, that is right, directed by Ben Affleck himself. I have said this a million times and I will say it a million and one times, Ben Affleck is a better director than he is an actor. I am not dogging his acting skills mind you (well Gigli goes without saying), but after seeing Gone Baby Gone, I just couldn't believe. This film really does look Oscar worthy, yet again. With Jeremy Renner (Hell Yes!) and Jon Hamm (my imaginable husband), this movie looks to be very promising. Critics seem to agree as well, as you read this, this film is at 93% on rottentomatoes.com. I would say awesomeness is a total given.Devil. Well what can I say. Now if you are like me and you have been wondering if M. Night Shyamalan has been hit in the head over the past couple years, you are probably hesitant to watch this. I wanted to see this before I saw his name attached to it, so that has to count for something right? How can this man go from the greatness of The Sixth Sense to likes of Lady in the Water is, in my honest opinion, one of the biggest mysterious in the world. We know Shyamalan has talent, but it is as though it has gone on vacation to an unknown island after The Village (I did not hate this movie as much as others, but it was definitely not on the same level as his films prior to this). M. Night Shyamalan, I don't care what it takes, go on search and rescue and find your talent because you have been on thin ice for a while now and one more flop, your career will be very cold. Liked what I did there? I know you did. Anyway, I believe this has the potential on being in the Top 5 this weekend, but it all depends on how people still react to his movies.
Last but not least, Alpha and Omega. Not too sure what to make of this. Nothing about jumps out at me. Don't say it is because I am an adult because like I said, I will be watching Pixar films when I am 100 years young. This movie is full of some very well liked actors and actresses, but I don't know if there is something here that is for the family. It seems just strictly for children. This sort of reminds me of Battle for Terra. Anyone, anyone? Exactly. I just had to look for the name on IMDB because I couldn't remember the name. This movie is full of memorable people who are making a forgettable film. I honestly forgot this came out today. I don't maybe the kids' parents would chuck out of a few bucks to send their kids to see this and it will make money. But again, it seems like a 3D film that is just...there. Top 10 at least.
What do you guys think? Any film here that you think is a clear box office winner this weekend?

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

I watched this last week and I am still trying to figure out exactly how I feel about it. This is one of those films that you will either really love or really hate, no in between is possible with this. I am actually for the former. The moment this was over, I definitely felt the frustration coming off the audience, but I don't think an ending should ruin an entire film (with the exception of The Mist, if you have seen it you are probably still pissed about it, if not, stick with the book. Unless you are just skimming this, reading is most likely not your first option, so you are screwed either way)
The characters I thought were amazing. The lead, Cotton Marcus (played by Patrick Fabian), was a priest and yet not a priest. He is quite the fraud who doesn't believe in his practices especially in demons. But he knows how to make money off the "gullible". His own wife says he is more of a performer than an actually preacher. You can actually see that when we are shown snips of his services. There is one part in the beginning on how he talks about putting together some kind of dessert and you will see how people will "eat it up" (so to speak) and not realize the bullshit that is coming out of his mouth. Sadly enough, they did. So one day he gets a call to perform an exorcism on a teenage girl. The father, Louis Sweetzer (Louis Herthum) is scared beyond reason and her brother, Caleb (Caleb Landry Jones, what the hell is with these names), thinks the priest is a fraud (kid definitely is the fastest bullshit reader in history, give this kid an award). The girl, Nell (Ashley Bell ), was so innocent and you can tell she has not been out of her family's site. Bell did such an amazing job capturing both sides. I thought she was very compelling.
Nonetheless, I thought this was a great movie. Even though you can't really say much for the ending because in my opinion, there was none. This movie is inconclusive. A film with no ending is a challenge to figure out whether you hate it or not. I was very much into the story, a few minutes before the film ended, I wanted to scream "Holy Shit". Then again, I should have expected this since Eli Roth's name is involved. I am a fan of his (with the exception of Hostel 2, uh hell no) and his movies usually are like this. Could they have at least made it more like Cabin Fever, at least that had an ending.
This movie kept me wanting more, literally, and that is something compared to most horror films that come out nowadays. All the characters had a lot of depth that you don't usually see in a lot of horror flicks as well. I know it seems I am dogging horror films and guess what? I am. It is just a lot of them are sort of cut and pasted from the some sort of recycled train wreck. This one, I thought, was different and intriguing. It didn't follow the usual format and it wasn't chalk full of those big shock moments that most horror movies have. Hey, they don't scare people, it just annoys them! When directors figure that out, horror films will be in a better place.
Overall, at least watch this movie once to get a feel for it. I can't guarantee you will love it like myself, but you will appreciate what you are watching. But then again, you aren't me, so I warn you, beware if you want a cookie cutter film. This is not the movie for you.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Just want to say, Joe Pitt is one of the coolest vampires ever. This is a great book and I can't wait to start the next book in the series. Yet the most compelling thing about this book is the lead charcter.
Again this is another book I have read recently that is totally original. Not only original but while reading this, I can tell this would make one hell of a movie. I want it to be a movie. The vampire movie world needs something new beside glittering, pussy-whipped vampires (with the exception of Daybreakers). That is why I love Joe Pitt. Charlie Huston has given us the hard ass, rough, New Yorker born and bread detective with a twist.
This book is full of zombies. Well, they aren't called zombies, they called shamblers. A shambler is loose and it is spreading its flesh eating bacteria around the city and it is Pitt's job to find it. But things get even more difficult for Pitt when it is found that a shambler might have gotten to a high society's daughter who has gone missing.
Another problem is that someone stole Pitt's stash of blood. Vampyres have different turfs. Pitt thinks someone from a different turf or the top of Vampyre society, the Coalition, has stolen his stash. This means Pitt has to be quick and try not to attract any attention while getting his next stash blood.
Pitt is fighting bloodlust, fighting the Coalition, fighting the shamblers, fighting other Vampyres. Also he is fighting (and not fighting) his girlfriend who thinks he cheated on her. So Pitt has a lot on his plate and he is trying to keep his head above the water everyone would love to see him drown in.
One thing I love about this book is that it is very different compared to most vampire books. For instance, instead of giving you some sexed up, ridiculously sexy male lead (though I do believe Pitt is sexy, in a hard ass sort of way), we have someone who seems quite normal. Well normal is not the right word, regular. Pitt has a job, a difficult one, only due to the people he works with and is surrounded by. He has a girlfriend who has HIV, so they don't have sex. Not that he can get it (because he can't, but he himself has issues as well due to his vampirism. But he says that due to him being a vampire, he could cure his girlfriend of her virus, yet he is afraid to let her know what he is.
Also in this book, it is not explained as down right vampirism, Pitt describes it as a virus. This virus needs to be fed blood or else things go wrong. That is something else I love. This books feels like it is apart of the real world. There is nothing too paranormal about it. Though I believe with Huston's style, it would have been fine either way.
This was another great find. I just stumbled on it through the Stanza app on my iPod Touch. It was a great read. I couldn't put it down and that is the ultimate compliment for any book. This book is quite dark and a little creepy. But you are more creeped out by the actual people in the book, not the shamblers or the vampires per se.

Monday, August 23, 2010

I finished this over the weekend and was so happy with it. This was the first book I have read that made me smile even though it is not your typical happy ending, everything is just fine-and-dandy type book. Though that is not saying this book was depressing. It is dark and yet finds a way for you to not feel sad, instead you laugh and cheer for the strangest of reasons.
The book starts off with our lead character, Charlie Asher, who we find out soon enough has very ridiculous, irrational fears. He is a Beta Male so it is obviously encoded in his DNA. He is scared his brand new, straight out the womb daughter, Sophie, is a shiksa (with horns and a tail). He is harassing his wife, Rachel, about it and she threatens to have him thrown out by security. Nonetheless, it starts of very sweet and relatively normal beginning. This is where the normalcy takes a skydive and falls into nonexistence.
A little while later, Charlie comes back into the hospital room to check on his wife again and he sees a very tall black man dressed in bright green next to his wife's bed. The man, who we find out is named Minty Fresh (seriously, how can you not like that) and he can't believe Charlie can see him. Charlie panics and is very pissed. The man mysteriously does not show up on cameras and he took his wife's Sarah Mclachlan CD.
So he is devastated and doesn't understand the "murder" of his wife. So while he is struggling with being a widower and a new father. He spins finds out he is to become something else, Death. Well, a Death, not THE Death. Since he saw Minty, he finds out that his new job is picking up souls from people through certain inanimate objects. These objects glow red when he knows they need to be collected. He finds out that when he doesn't, they get picked up by what he calls the sewer harpies. They are big, black, scary ravens that when they get these objects, their powers grow and of they get too powerful, they will pretty much destroy the world, starting with good old San Francisco.
So Charlie also finds out that talking to another Death Merchant can bring along these sewer harpies. But he needs to talk to someone about it and the only person that knows is his employee, Lily who is a quick mouth, goth chick with no care in the world. She accidentally gets Charlie's Great Big Book of Death before him and she thought she was death (I mean it was only fitting). But she was not and she knows his secret. Which is good compared to those he has to bide from.
This book is full of misunderstandings, mixed identities, and misfortunes. Being a guy who owns a family run thrift store who just got a daughter and lost his wife to then find out he is the bringer of death definitely takes its toll. Some of the objects he collects are quick and simple (since he can go unnoticed), but others were suspicious or just downright hilarious. Example, the object (well objects) he had to collect was a fuck puppets breast implants. She noticed him noticing her big glowing assets and that is where even more trouble ensues.
He then comes across names in his "death planner" and he can't find them. Until he come across Aubrey and finds out his form of soul swapping isn't the only thing out there. Together and along with her special friends, they try to take out the trio of darkness and their leader.
This is a great book. It is not your conventional, heroic book, not your typical book on parenting and not your typical book on love and life. Yet, these are the reasons to read this book. The characters are amazing and each of them bring different levels of smiles and laughs. This is my first Christopher Moore book, but I am aware that some of the characters are in other works by Moore and I would love to read more about them. Read this book, it is funny as hell and full of fantastic twists.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

I saw this film a couple of days ago. I think it is safe to say (big in take of air)...THIS IS THE GREATEST FILM EVER!!! Seriously, if I dreamt up my perfect movie, it would probably look and feel a lot like this. The level of innovation and fun in this movie was more than enough to have me smiling from beginning to end.

This is a movie about a guy named Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) who is in a rock band who's love life is a little uncoventional. He is a 23-years-old and he is dating a 17-year-old high school student, Knives Chau. Things are going...well, can't say well. They were just together, but they obviously shouldn't have been. He was having second thoughts and she was very middle school-crazy-perky. It was obvious he was going to break up with her, with or without his friends and older sister telling him so.

Then one day he falls asleep and has a strange dream about a girl, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), rolling through his dream (literally). He sees her everywhere and falls for her quickly (while he is still with Knives). So one day after he invites Ramona to one of his band's concerts, he is quickly confronted by a crazy and overly eccentric fighter who happens to be one of Ramona's exes. Then Pilgrim finds out that in order to date her, he must defeat all seven of her exes. No draws, no injuries, has to be total defeat with his own two hands.

So while he is in the middle of defeating The League of Exes, Knives finds out that Scott was with her and Flowers at one time before he dumped her. She becomes even more crazy and quite the stalker in the movie. But she matures, sort of.

I absolutely love this movie. I am going to check it out again tomorrow. There were so many things to love. First off, of course, was the look of this movie. It was a comic book and video game put together (with a little bit of anime thrown in).

Second, the characters. I am a huge fan of Michael Cera, but everyone else was fantastic too. I loved Pilgrim's gay roommate, Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin). He is always introduced as his gay roommate. He was funny, witty and sarcastic as hell. He was also the "unintentional ring announcer" at the beginning of Scott's fights. There was Gideon Gordon Graves (Jason Schwartzman) who I am also a huge fan of. He was the boss to beat in the final level in the film. Also Julie Powers (Aubrey Powers) was great. The movie is PG-13, so when an F-bomb was dropped (specifically from Powers), she had the black box over her mouth the block out the word. That was one of many genius little
ideas in this film that was so pleasant.

That ties in with the third and most important thing I loved about this, the directing. Everything that was done was purposely meant to give it a certain feel. There were plenty of onomatopoeias (words that sound the same as they are spelled, comic book words like "ring" or "thwap"). You just got learned. Also there was a little sitcom parody to Seinfeld in the film which just added more to the film. And so many other thingsthat were just incredible.

Bottom line, this is not only one of the beat films of the year, this is one of the greatest movies I have seen in my life. Now if you are a geek like me, of course this movie will appeal to you. But you don't have to be a geek to appreciate the awesomeness of this film in my opinion. Unfortunately not a lot of people agreed with that given that this movie only showcased at number 5 in the box office. The saddest travesty I have ever seen. There is so much in this movie, it is impossible not to find something enjoyable about it. There have been plenty of comic book movies, but none of them are anything like this beautiful gem here. Go to the theaters and check this out of you know what is good for you. No seriously, you better watch it.

What did you guys? Why do you think this did not make it to number one?